Embassies and Consulate Resources

Depending on your travel destination, your length of stay and your citizenship, you may be required to
obtain a visa for your trip abroad. It usually comes in the form of a stamp, placed in your passport - thus, getting a passport is the first step to getting a visa. The visa allows you to enter, and re-enter, a specific country for a designated period of time. Generally, one works with the U.S.-based consulate or embassy of his or her destination country, to apply.

Embassies and consulates typically offer different services. A country's embassy is generally located in the capital city.
The embassy deals with the main diplomatic relations between the home nation and the host nation in which the embassy is located.
Consulates can be considered a smaller version of an embassy and are usually located in major tourist cities. A consulate usually handles more of the minor diplomatic issues such as trade, issuing visas and taking care tourists.

It is important to note that every consular and embassy office operates differently, under varying rules and requirements.
Therefore, it is important to contact your jurisdictional office for application materials and information on obtaining the
necessary travel documents. There is a wealth of information found on the World Wide Web for research into these matters.

Anyone who is planning overseas travel should look at the U.S. Department of State website to begin research on foreign entry requirements